Rwanda’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Innocent Muhizi, presented his Letters of Credence to the GovernorGeneral of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro, during an official ceremony held on Wednesday, April 1, in Wellington.
During the ceremony, Muhizi conveyed warm greetings from President Paul Kagame and from the Government and people of Rwanda to the Government and people of New Zealand.
ALSO READ: Tech, trade top Muhizi’s agenda as Rwanda’s envoy to Singapore
In his remarks, he noted that although Rwanda and New Zealand are geographically distant, the two nations share common values rooted in their membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. He highlighted their common commitment to democratic principles, sustainable development, and multilateral cooperation.
He noted that hat the Commonwealth provides a strong framework for expanding bilateral engagement.
The envoy emphasised the strong potential to further deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly in fields of mutual interest, including sustainable agriculture and dairy productivity, biosecurity, renewable energy, conservation, tourism, digital development, and education and skills training.
He highlighted New Zealand’s global leadership in climate-adaptive agriculture, biodiversity management, and innovation as offering valuable opportunities for technical partnerships. At the same time, he noted that Rwanda’s expanding agroprocessing sector, vibrant private sector, and growing digital and green economies present complementary avenues for mutually beneficial trade and investment.
Muhizi pledged to work closely with the Government of New Zealand to strengthen political dialogue, expand trade and investment opportunities, and advance cooperation across key sectors.
Rwanda and New Zealand enjoy a warm and friendly bilateral relationship, with cooperation focused mainly on capacity building and mutual international support.
Rwanda and New Zealand established their diplomatic relations in April 2012 and are represented, respectively, by their non-resident Missions in Singapore and Addis Ababa, respectively.